Stars
by AutumnMobile12
Summary: Following the disastrous events of the Level Four's assault, the Order finds themselves once again plunged into a deep melancholy that threatens their Christmas traditions, and it's going to take the efforts of an unexpected duo to raise everyone's spirits. [Sequel to Needles]
1. The Unlikely Suspects

Author's Notes: I have returned, and the same goes for a lot of you now that D. Gray Man Hallow has aired. 'Stars' is a sequel story that was formerly epilogue to my previous story 'Needles', but due to its length and the fact it's been years since I updated Needles, I decided it should stand on its own. It's not entirely necessary to read Needles, but I wouldn't advise against it. It was the very first fic I posted, and it's very special to me, so I hope you enjoy its sequel. (Also, if you read into the author's note this far, I'm very impressed by your patience.)

D Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.

-0-0-0-

Chapter 1: The Unlikely Suspects

Komui raised his eyes from the mountains of paperwork before him and inspected the unlikely pair of mismatched exorcists before him. Neither the nervous, fidgeting woman nor the tall, stoic man cracked a smile as they waited expectantly. Rising to his feet, he straightened his glasses and cleared his throat. "Why on earth are you asking my permission?"

The woman flinched, trembling violently under his gaze, and stammered, "I-It was my idea, sir, b-b-but I didn't know if it would be appropriate since..." She took a breath to calm herself as she searched for the right words. "Since things have been so serious lately what with the recent attack and the move to the new Headquarters and..."

"Miranda." Komui laughed gently, stepping around his desk to rest his hand on her quivering shoulder. The woman jumped, closing her eyes as though she was expecting him to strike her. This troubled him somewhat, but he chose to let it slide in favor of reassuring her, "It's because of these hardships it's a good idea. Celebrating in these troubled times will boost everyone's morale and restore a little bit of much-needed hope. There's no need to be so nervous."

Miranda's brown eyes opened hesitantly to look at him, so agitated he could feel her shaking beneath his hand. Komui smiled confidently, then turned to her companion with a more doubtful look. "What I'd like to know is how you of all people got involved. Isn't Christmas as little too...'social' for your taste?"

Kanda yawned dismissively and said nothing, even going so far as to turn away from the director and cross his arms. Komui shook his head and turned back to Miranda. "Well, don't let me hold you up now. Go find your Christmas trees, decorate, have fun."

Miranda clasped her hands and cried, "Oh, thank you, Director. Thank you, thank you!" She suddenly threw herself at him in a tight but brief hug, much to their surprise. Kanda blinked in disbelief and before Komui could decide whether or not to hug her back, the young woman suddenly pulled away, her cheeks burning a bright cherry red. She bowed repeatedly several times and seemed ready to hug Komui again before Kanda intervened gruffly, "Come on, we have a lot to do if we're celebrating the traditional way."

"Oh, right! Sorry, Mr. Kanda." Miranda nodded her thanks again, far too agitated to say anything else. Then she raced after her companion, who was halfway to the door. "Wait for me!"

Komui watched them go in silence, ignoring the brisk 'ahem' from Bridget Fay, whom he was sure had her arms crossed and tapping a slender forefinger against her elbow in mild disapproval. It was like Gwen and Brutus all over again, that one December twenty-fourth almost seven years ago. Except now it would be their first ever Christmas in the new Headquarters and he sensed some would find the change awkward, even uncomfortable, without the familiar environment of previous years. It wasn't just Christmas either. Everything about the new fortress seemed alien and unwelcoming. Even Komui himself found some difficulty adjusting from his comfortably discombobulated office to the prim and tidy one his intolerant, puritanical assistant (and not his sweet, little sister) insisted on keeping.

Even more discouraging, it was also to be their first ever Christmas without the lovely and spirited Gwendolyn Frere and the brawny and kindhearted Brutus Maxum. Their first Christmas without Sol Galen and Tina Spark. And Yeegar. Suman, Chakar, and Kazana.

And Daisya. His beloved sister's childhood friend, comrade, and co-conspirator.

"Director." Bridget said in a warning tone, the one Emilia often used to scold Timothy now that he thought about it. "Director, please. We need to send out those reports by ten o'clock, then you're to review the assessments provided by-"

Komui removed his glasses to clean a lens with the end of his coat. "Yes, yes, you're absolutely right. Let's get started on that right away. The sooner we finish, the less we have to worry about during the party."

He could almost see Bridget's upper lip curl in annoyance, but she said nothing and stepped primly to retrieve his first mountain of paperwork. Komui smiled to himself. He could always sneak away later.

After all, arriving at a Christmas party without a gift for his dear Lenalee was unacceptable.

-0-0-0-

Miranda barely repressed her excitement as she trotted alongside Kanda, nearly hyperventilating and twitching nervously as she listed off the countless questions that began flooding her mind. "How many people celebrate Christmas in the Order? I mean, it's a primarily Christian holiday. Not that there's anything wrong with other faiths like—are you Shinto since you're Japanese? Sorry if that's offensive! Where will we find a Christmas tree on such short notice? That town on the island with us will be sold out! What about decorations? And food? Can't forget food! Well, I suppose Jerry could—Oh! Can we set everything up in time?"

"Would you settle down?" Kanda demanded, although in a much more gentle tone than he would've used with anyone else.

"Sorry." Miranda sagged, a definite gloom cloaking her soul. "I'm just so excited. I haven't celebrated Christmas with anyone in years."

"Years?" Her companion critically glanced her over.

"Well, when I was little, I was with my family, of course. But now…" The woman shook her head regretfully but offered no further explanation and matched Kanda's much longer strides with a little less enthusiasm. The younger exorcist sighed, which didn't make her feel any better. "Sorry. I know this was my idea …"

"It's fine." Kanda mumbled.

Miranda fell silent, anxiously chewing on her lip and training her hollow eyes on the stone floor. Silence was heard from her companion, which sent her heart throbbing. Was he mad? She hadn't meant to make him angry, but it was so easy with this boy. Should she apologize? No, that might make it worse. How about-

Her companion sighed again, this time in resignation. "Almost everyone in the Black Order celebrates Christmas or a similar variation of it. I personally don't follow any particular faith. No, it's not offensive. I'll worry about the tree. We had a storage unit solely for Christmas decorations at the Old Headquarters, so we'll have to track down what happened to it. Jerry would be delighted to prepare a meal for the occasion and, yes, with enough people, we can set everything up in time." Slowly, Miranda raised her head to meet her senior's black eyes. "Was that everything? Anyway, I think you should bring together some volunteers to find and pull the decorations from storage. If you're nervous about asking, get Duckling to help you."

"Duckling is your name for Lenalee, right?"

"Very good." Kanda nodded and grabbed her by her arm to steer her into the mess hall where a minor food fight had erupted between Lavi and Allen and was progressively attracting more and more participants. Those not actively throwing their breakfast were either like Bookman, ignoring the chaos and dodging flecks of toast and oatmeal, or Link, who was trying and failing to break up the scuffle. Miranda briefly heard Kanda grumble something to himself, then raised his voice in a loud, bossy tone that echoed throughout the hall, "All right, everyone, I'm only gonna say this once so shut it!"

The effect was immediate, silence falling upon the crowd and hundreds of eyes turned in their direction. Miranda quavered under the sudden attention and retreated behind Kanda somewhat, but he noticed and sidestepped to bring her into the open. "As you know, today is December twenty-fifth, and the lot of us have done nothing to celebrate. Granted, I know it seems odd and maybe depressing doing so without old friends but forsaking our holiday traditions is just pathetic. Would they want this? Would old Brutus and Gwen want this?" He paused to take a breath. "Regardless of what happened this year, I say we do the same thing we've done every year and at least find ourselves a goddamned tree." He crossed his arms. "Who's with us?"

No one said a word or even moved, except to share a brief, incredulous glance with his or her neighbor. Miranda wrung her wrists, just imagining what they were thinking. Surely, she and Kanda had to be just about the weirdest pair to ever bring something like this up. "I know it's short notice." She nervously spoke up, forcing herself to yell in order to be heard. "But with enough people helping, I'm sure we can have everything ready for a party tonight and….well, you know….I just think-"

"Stop talking." Kanda muttered, shooting her a warning glance.

Obediently, Miranda shut up, then felt a dam of relief in her heart break as she recognized Lavi raising his hand in the back, scrambled eggs and maybe syrup dripping from his fingers. The ice broken, others began to follow suit. Allen, Krory, Chaoji and his two friends, a number of finders, one or two scientists who'd made it to breakfast, General Cloud Nyne, who'd been sitting inconspicuously in the corner with Lau Jimin, General Tiedoll, who didn't even raise his head from his latest sketch, along with the line of people trailing toward Jerry's window, where the head chef himself and his assistants were poking their arms through to show their support. Only a handful of people stubbornly kept their hands down, like Link and Bookman, who probably thought themselves too dignified to raise their hands like grade schoolers.

And Lenalee.

Miranda's breath caught when she spotted the girl. That was Lenalee, wasn't it? Yes, she'd know that beautiful, forest green hair anywhere. _But why isn't she raising her hand?_ She thought, casting a glance at Kanda, though he didn't seem to notice. A triumphant, if slightly manic, grin had split the young man's face from ear to ear and he drove his right fist into the opposite palm, sending a rather misleading message. "All right, I guess we've a lot of work to do, then."

-0-0-0-

"This is going to be so awesome!" Timothy shouted as he leaped from his seat and sprinted across the floor, executing a well-practiced spin with his arms outstretched.

"Don't fall, Timothy." Emilia called after him then busied herself with mopping up the boy exorcist's spilled orange juice. "I was beginning to think the Order didn't celebrate the holidays. Have things really been so serious?"

"Unfortunately." Lavi sighed, solemnly prodding at a slice of bacon. "It hasn't been a good year for us. We've lost over one hundred finders, a large part of our European science division, an as of yet undetermined number of casualties in other divisions and outside support, and a total of nine exorcists. Well, ten if you count little Mei Ling."

Timothy came running back to the table, anxiously pointing out, "Yeah, but my teacher told me you gained five this year. Allen, Mademoiselle Miranda, Monsieur Chaoji, Comte Krory, and me! Isn't that good?"

"Yes, that's very good, Timothy. And we can't forget about gaining the Crystal Innocence." Marie's sage voice joined them as the elder accommodator approached their table. "You're correct in the assumption there's still hope for us yet, but you have to remember the people we lost were our friends." At that, a crestfallen look came into the boy's blue eyes. "We fought together, protected each other, trusted each other, and some of us even grew up together. To lose so many in such a short time….it's….well, it's-"

"Like what would've happened to me if I'd lost everyone at the orphanage." Timothy finished, surprising them all with his solemn, understanding voice.

"That's right." Marie nodded and brushed his large hand over the boy's hair. "And while we're thankful for the hope God gave us through you, Allen, Miranda, Krory and Chaoji, the souls of those we lost are irreplaceable."

Allen chewed through a pancake that hadn't been sacrificed for ammunition, silently brooding. There were many Christmases he could recall, but sadly, most of them were bitter, unhappy memories of sitting cold, alone, and forgotten while the other members of the circus troupe laughed, ate, drank, opened gifts, and occasionally threw things at him if he dared approach the fire. Others were of sitting cold, alone, and forgotten in the hallway of an inn, barred from the room by Cross who had 'plans' for the evening, the kind that involved wine (a lot of it) and a girl (maybe two).

No, he regretted to say his only happy memories of Christmas were of traveling with Mana, going all out in every performance with every last trick they knew to earn a little more money than usual for a small Christmas dinner and maybe a present for each other. There was never a tree to decorate or stocking to stuff or anything. Most of the time, the gifts were things they would've bought eventually, like a new pair of boots, food, spare fabric and new thread to repair their costumes. Practical things like that.

But that was all right. He had his father after all. But even he was gone now, along with so many wonderful friends he'd made in the past year. Allen took a swallow from his chipped coffee mug. The hot liquid felt good against his throat, which had been feeling a little sore since he'd woke.

"Oi, bean sprout."

Allen scowled as he heard Kanda approach behind him. Twisting his neck, he fixed the elder accommodator with a sour glare and asked, "Do you want something?"

"As a matter of fact, yeah." Kanda tapped a long forefinger against the weapon belted at his waist as if to remind them all where Mugen was. "I need help dragging a tree back."

"Why not use horses like we've done every year?" General Zokalo grunted, his heavy armor clinking as he approached their table. "I doubt this little pinprick would be much help."

Allen frowned at this new moniker and suddenly found himself willing to listen to Kanda for a change.

"Cause I haven't seen any conifers anywhere on this island, so we have to return to the Old Headquarters." The black-haired exorcist then added with an annoyed grimace. "And as we discovered in the move here, no amount of coaxing will get the horses through the damned Gate."

Link turned to face the swordsman, one eyebrow raised, but it was Timothy who asked, "Does that mean Allen's allowed to create a Gate? I thought he couldn't unless he had the A-okay from the bigwigs."

"The Central Administration, Timothy." Emilia corrected, flicking a chunk of oatmeal from the boy's face, then glanced around the table. "Where did Mademoiselle Lenalee go?"

Her question was ignored as Link cleared his throat and stated, "I did not receive any notice from the Inspector regarding Walker's use of Noah's Ark, Exorcist Kanda."

Kanda stared back at him, somewhere between annoyed and disdainful. "It would only take about an hour, Inspector, and the Gate doesn't even need to be open the whole time. Besides, what Central doesn't know won't hurt them. If everyone just keeps quiet, then-"

"Absolutely not." Link persisted, rising to his feet to challenge the exorcist head-on, not in a threatening manner, just assertive. "The Ark is an instrument of the Holy War, not a convenient means of transporting frivolous items."

The swordsman rolled his eyes, already fed up with the Central agent, "All right, Crow, how about this approach? If you rat us out, I'll tell Komui you slept with his sister. Isn't that right, Allen?"

Emilia went red at the impropriety of the suggestion, covering Timothy's ears. A frightening laugh escaped Zokalo while Lavi and Allen shot incredulous stares at their comrade. Marie hid his smile by turning away from the group and laughing to himself. Link was outraged. "As if I would commit such a scandalous and indecent act! Especially with an Apostle of Innocence!"

Allen frowned. He and Link lived in the same room, and Lenalee certainly hadn't— Oh! With a wicked grin, he shrugged carelessly. "Oh, yes. Lots of moans and heavy breathing last night. Kept me up for hours and hours. Someone was having a _very_ good time." Link turned on him, speechless with fury, so he added, "Very erotic the German pronunciation of Lenalee."

"Walker." Link growled.

Allen merely smiled back at him and triumphantly marked an invisible tally in the air, not feeling the least bit guilty for his part in the man's predicament. Although it was against his nature to purposefully irritate someone like this, he couldn't help but feel a little smug getting back at the man for all his scolding and condescension these past few months.

"Well, your crime is confirmed by your would-be alibi. You'd best hope this doesn't get out." Kanda tapped Mugen's hilt again, feigning disinterest. "I can't imagine how the Director would react."

They were several nods of agreement here and there throughout the group, coupled with sly smiles and ever so quiet laughter. Link clenched a fist, red eyes darting from one person to the next, hoping to find someone to extricate him from this uncomfortable situation.

"He'd be butchered alive." Zokalo piled on with a wild laugh.

"Drowned for certain." Lavi nodded.

"Hung by his hair in the mess hall as an example." Bookman added from his seat at the next table over.

"Enough!" Link shouted, glaring at Kanda. "In case you've forgotten, Exorcist, there is no official regulation regarding the relations between Crows and exorcists, platonic or sexual; therefore, I am in no danger of repercussions from any figure of authority even if such an outlandish incident were to arise."

Kanda smirked. "You clearly haven't heard the stories then. Komui likes to send assassins, usually of the robot variety, to take down anyone he even has a slight suspicion of so much as looking at his precious sister. But that shouldn't trouble you, since you're a Crow as you said. But gossip like this gets around. I can't imagine how that old vulture Leverrier would react. I mean, you _are_ his faithful dog, aren't you? There may not be an official regulation, but it is still premarital and you _are_ on duty, let's not forget." By now, Link was either ready to storm out of the mess hall or burn Kanda alive with a spell strip. He opened his mouth to defend himself again, but Kanda cut him off. "It's your word against everyone here, including your charge Allen Walker. You really want make a fuss over one tree?"

The Inspector grew quiet, glaring around at all of them, then growled, "Fine, dammit, you have my silence!"

-0-0-0-

"I'm sure it's this one." Johnny was saying, holding his lantern high above his head to read the fresh-painted numbers on the heavy, metal door: Storage Block 13.

Miranda gulped nervously and rubbed her hands together. The air was so cold down here. "Well, you know what they say, thirteenth time's the charm." Whatever record or file there might have been regarding the contents of various storage rooms in the Order had either been lost in the hectic weeks of reshuffling and organizing or did not even exist due to the change in Headquarters. After trying one door after another for the past twenty minutes, the clockwork exorcist began to wonder if they'd ever find the decorations. Or if they'd even find their way out of this labyrinth of storage units what with all the twists and turns they'd made. "Are you sure they're even down here?" She asked the little scientist.

"Oh, definitely!" He grinned at her. "There are nearly fifty blocks to search, so it's bound to be here somewhere!"

"Fifty?" Miranda quailed. At this rate, they were never going to find them and get set up on time.

"Oh, but we can rule out numbers eighteen, twenty-seven, thirty-nine, and forty-six. Reever had us memorize those because that's where we smuggled in all of Komui's vetoed experiments. And I know we would never put them with Christmas decorations. Right then, here we go!" Grasping the door handle, Johnny braced his foot against the wall and heaved the heavy, metal door open, releasing a blast of cold air into the corridor and sending a shiver down Miranda's spine.

Despite this, she eagerly leaned forward, squinting against the light of the lantern as the pair searched out the interior. _Please let this be the one._ Miranda silently prayed. Christmas last year had been a disaster for her. Fired from her seventy-third job at the local bakery after burning three batches of gingerbread in a row, she'd gotten herself locked out of her home, was unable to contact a locksmith, and consequently spent the entire evening wandering around town, gotten pick pocketed, lost a shoe while running from a stray dog, and cracked her wrist when she slipped on some ice. And when it became apparent on December Twenty-Fourth the Order did not celebrate Christmas, disappointment had hit her stronger than she'd thought possible. It should've been no less than she'd expected, as she was—above all else—Luckless Miranda. _Silly me._ She'd scolded herself. Why she ever hoped she could spend Christmas with a family again, she didn't know.

However, that could not stop her from asking Kanda about the holidays that morning. They'd been in the training hall, her the chronic insomniac, him taking out some frustration or other on a punching bag. This was normal for them, little talks in the wee hours of morning. Perhaps it was because he was always too tired to be angry and she too melancholy to trip over her words, but they were oddly soothing conservations, evidence of a tiny, private alliance that just about escaped the notice of the entire Order. At least she never spoke about them to anyone else, feeling as though the more people who knew, the more it would diminish the strange friendship she'd built with Kanda. But as soon as she mentioned the word Christmas at five o'clock that morning, the younger exorcist went all stiff, freezing mid-punch and turning to stare at her. Instinctively, she'd retreated a couple steps and apologized and blamed herself for ever bringing it up. Old habits and all.

"We did celebrate last year." Kanda surprised her by murmuring, staring down at the earth as though lost in another world. "We did. Ever since Gwen and Brutus…"

Somehow, she felt she'd touched a nerve that should've been left alone and she turned to leave, but the young man grabbed her by her shoulders and issued a swift headbutt that did not hurt in slightest but still frightened her out of her mind. "Why did you—"

"Thank you." He said earnestly. "You just reminded me of something important."

So that was how, two hours later, Miranda found herself stuck in the New Headquarter's storage block, opening one room after another in search of the one where they kept—

"Here they are!" Johnny's relieved voice cut into her thoughts as he swung the door all the way open, revealing a room absolutely jam-packed with cardboard boxes and crates and burlap sacks all labeled with something like _Greenery_ or _Baubles and other Trinkets_ or _Ribbons_. Miranda breathed sigh of relief as well and found herself grinning from ear to ear. Johnny took a proud step back, putting his hands on his hips and declaring, "Right, now all we need are some volunteers to haul all this up. You go find Lenalee and I'll start sorting everything out. Just take two lefts and a right and head straight until you get to the stairs and you'll be out."

Miranda nodded and found the corners of her mouth were beginning to curl into a broad grin. "I'll be right back." And, with some reservations about her ability to follow directions and even more about leaving the little scientist on his own down here, Miranda turned tail and began to run, dashing toward the exit with more speed than she'd thought possible. This she also attributed to her late-night running with Kanda. Her grin spreading even wider, Miranda sprinted faster and faster, charging down the hall, taking the turns she needed, before practically flying up the stairwell and leaping into the main corridor with her arms stretched wide, startling the hell out of a finder in the process. Failing to notice, the clockwork exorcist continued her dash, feeling more carefree than she'd ever felt in her life.

Lenalee's routine was to rise early and train for two straight hours and then meditate for another forty minutes in the new dojo. Then a shower and breakfast in the mess hall, and after that, she was usually in the library at this time, working her way through a novel or studying. Lately, she had been teaching Allen Chinese, though. Miranda pursed her lips as she ran up a flight of steps and down another hallway. Kanda had said he was borrowing Allen to go get a tree, so the lesson had most likely been cancelled for today. No matter, she could've still headed there for her usual 'quiet time' after all. Even with the schedule being a mess today, it was the best place she could think of to start looking and—Miranda froze, her good mood rapidly wilting. Come to think of it, the girl had kept her hand down when everyone else had otherwise raised theirs in support of the party. And she hadn't helped her and Johnny look for the decorations at all. Surely, she wasn't against it. Was she?

The familiar feeling of uncertainty began to flood her being and she leaned against the railing, raising her hand to nervously chew her nails. _Maybe she's just helping somewhere else…_ Before she could think she stopped the first person—wasn't this the woman who came to the Order with little Timothy—passing her by and asked, "Pardon me, miss, but do you know where I can find Lenalee? I'm trying to find volunteers to help set up for the party, but…"

Emilia shook her head. "Non, but I was wondering out that. I wanted to help out, too, but I didn't know who to talk to or where to go, and everybody left so quickly after breakfast. As for Mlle. Lenalee, she disappeared sometime after M. Kanda's speech and I never saw her again."

Why would Lenalee just run off like that? Was she really against the party? But why? That didn't sound like Lenalee at all.

"Erm…" Emilia began uneasily, perhaps troubled by the increasingly ghoulish expression on Miranda's face. "I could help you find volunteers until she turns up if you like? I used to do that in Paris, find folks to help me set up charity events for the orphan home and the like."

"Oh, would you really?" Miranda asked, relieved someone was willing to lend her a hand.

The woman nodded and smiled. "Sure. I'm certain a lot of people are wanting to help out, so our work may be half done already."

"Okay. Um…" Miranda made a move to hunch her shoulders and shrink into herself, as was her habit, but remembering Kanda's confidence from earlier, she took a deep breath, drew herself upright, and said clearly. "Right now, the most important thing is to retrieve the Christmas decorations from storage. Kanda already has a group of people out looking for a tree."

As the two women left the way Miranda had come, deep in their conversation about plans and volunteers, Lenalee stepped away from the hallway she'd hidden herself in and narrowed her eyes at the stairwell.


	2. Holly and Angels

Chapter 2: Holly and Angels

Just as Kanda predicted, it didn't take long to harvest a suitable Christmas tree. However, it was a truly massive conifer that, even with the help of Zokalo's brute strength, took over a dozen people to drag across the snow and through the forest. Link refused to help and watched the procession with a poisonous glare that made everyone, including himself, feel really uncomfortable, especially when the Sprout was forced to expand the Arc Gate in order for the tree to even fit through. Back inside the Order, however, pulling the tree became a much more strenuous job, with the melting chunks of snow creating hazardous puddles on the stone floor. Twice, he slipped and struck his chin on the rough tree trunk and once Timothy had gotten himself caught under the branches, temporarily halting their progress.

Nonetheless, he found he didn't really mind the hassle. It reminded him of being a kid again, running wild in the halls with Daisya and Lenalee, following Gwen's instructions on who needed help and where and what with. Kanda leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. It felt weird to be 'replacing' her in a way. He hadn't thought he would be standing here when this venture started, but since Lenalee had vanished after breakfast, presumably to assist Miranda, he hadn't had much of a choice. Privately, he'd been hoping the girl would've taken over, so he could find a more discreet job helping out. _She'd have been better at this than me._ He thought regretfully, looking up at the ceiling. _Her or Daisya._

They hadn't been able to dwell on it at the time, but after the chaos of the Edo conflict and the aftermath of the Level Four attack finally calmed, the memory of losing his friends and comrades had caught up to him. And with it came a heart ache that refused to be ignored and caused him as much physical pain as it did mentally. It was no use trying to push it down again; the door was open and the reopened wounds were demanding his attention. _So many people gone in such a short time._ General Yeegar had always been kind to him and Duckling during their confinement at the Main Headquarters. Somehow, the old man had always known exactly what to say when they needed to hear it. Chakar had been the only other swordsman exorcist, and he'd actually taught him many techniques to use with Mugen. Kanda grimaced. Spark had been annoying as hell, with her squeaking giggle that made him want to throttle her, but she had always been a loyal, steadfast ally, and an exceptional exorcist. Kazana and Sol were supposed to get married this spring, and although he and Suman had never been particularly close, Kanda remembered him as a decent man who loved his family. Today, Gwen would've been right here, calling out commands and encouragement with her cheerful and motherly voice.

 _And Daisya…. If Daisya were here right now, he'd come running up and jump on me from behind. I'd try to throw him off, but he'd be yanking on my hair so I wouldn't be able to. Somehow, I'd manage to free myself and punch him so hard he'd have a black eye for a week. Marie would scold me, but Daisya would just roll on the floor and laugh like an idiot. Or something like that._ Or maybe he would just stand there and tug his ponytail to get his attention, poke at his face, or tug his cheek into a grotesque parody of a smile. He was never able to tell with that guy. Kanda sighed. _Bastard. What'd you have to go and get yourself killed for?_ His death hadn't been easy once it sunk in, and even now—he shook himself out of his reverie, pushing the memory aside for the umpteenth time that week, and called, "You guys have it handled here? I'm going ahead to check on how they're doing in the Hall."

"No problem!" An out of breath Lavi answered, appearing on the other side of the tree, needles sticking in his red hair.

"You're sure?" Planting one hand on his hip, Kanda narrowed his eyes at them. "I'd hate to be gone five minutes and come back to a train wreck." Several voices affirmed Lavi's assessment, their exact words indistinct due to their overlapping voices. Link said nothing and glared at him. No matter. Ever since the 'possession debacle' in Paris, Kanda had begun to recall some vague memory of getting into a fight with the Inspector when they were children. Not like he remembered who said what and why or who actually won the fight—Crow apprentices were vicious, little bastards after all—but he liked to think it was Link who started it, so he was calling it even with this. Kanda smiled at him.

"While you're gone, perhaps you ought to enlist the help of the Asian and American Branches." Marie suggested. "I'm sure Chan and Epstein would be more than willing to lend a hand."

Kanda nodded and started off, sprinting down the corridor toward the great atrium of the New Headquarters. It was the only location in the cathedral large enough for a Christmas party, after all. _He's right. I probably should let Baka-niisan and Aunt Ren know what I'm up to._ Not that he really wanted to. Bak had developed an undoubtedly creepy fixation on Lenalee in recent years, and Renée had been acting weird lately. She had been paying regular visits to the Main Headquarters, but it was only to talk to the Chief, and she'd been avoiding him in the process. As if her guilt for Lab Six was coming back to her, but that didn't make sense. They'd resolved that years ago, hadn't they? It made him uneasy they were drifting apart again, especially for an unknown reason. He didn't think it was Lab Six this time, but it had to be something related.

It didn't matter, though. He shook his head. Whatever it was could wait another day.

"Mr. Kanda!"

He stopped, hand instinctively going to Mugen and he nearly slipped on the stone floor but managed to stay upright. "What is it?" He asked as Miranda came sprinting toward him. Despite his warnings, _she_ did slip, falling hard into his arms as he caught her and sending them both sprawling across the floor.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Never mind, what's wrong?" He answered automatically, staring up at the underside of the ceiling.

Careful not to hurt him, Miranda slowly found her hands and knees and backed away from him, then rose to her feet and dusted off her long skirts. "I just wanted you to know, Johnny and I found the Christmas storage, and Fraulein Emilia found a bunch of volunteers to help out."

"Emilia?" Kanda frowned, trying to remember who that was. A finder? One of the scientists? Ah, right! The woman who kicked Bean Sprout in the face at the Hearst Orphanage. And then she screamed at him a couple times for threatening the new kid and shot at group of akuma with a handgun and a wounded shoulder. Interesting lady. "You didn't ask Duckling for help?"

"I tried." The woman answered softly, awkwardly holding her small hand out for him to take. "But I couldn't find her, and Emilia was there….so…."

"I see." He nodded, a familiar frown crossing his features. And just where was their little princess sulking?

-0-0-0-

 _General Zokalo's a beast…_ Allen remarked privately, feeling a little uneasy as the madman exorcist singlehandedly heaved their giant Christmas tree upright and, with a triumphant battle cry, locked the severed trunk into the tree stand Johnny had set up for them. Maybe Cross hadn't been such a terrible master after all. Allen shuddered as he surveyed the conifer. They'd chosen well, he thought with a hint of satisfaction. Throughout the entire trip, they'd passed by several trees that looked good enough to him, but Kanda had decided to be picky and rejected every single one they'd passed until they'd come across a gigantic evergreen full of dark green needles. A quick conference had been held before Zokalo impatiently brought the tree down with his Innocence, claiming he was cold and wanted to get back inside before he froze his—Allen cleared his throat.

Personally, he didn't have the faintest idea why Kanda of all people would instigate something like this. He'd heard the swordsman's speech in the mess hall, just as everyone else had, but…well, the Kanda he knew would've been glad for the silence. Or simply wouldn't have cared. Yet when the swordsman and Miranda had appeared in the mess hall doors and rallied everyone together in the name of celebrating with their old traditions, Allen couldn't help but feel impressed with his sullen comrade and altogether proud of the ever timid Miranda.

For all the effort they'd put into the tree hunt, her side of the party decorating had covered twice as much ground in the same amount of time. She'd gathered together a ton of volunteers, most of them were from the finder units and science division, but he spotted fellow exorcists in the crowd, as well as a surprising number of Crows. He would've bet big money they wouldn't have shown up. But there they were in their red cloaks, stringing up garland and ribbons, unfurling carpets, and unpacking boxes along with everyone else. One of them even had their apprentice along and was showing the child a pair of bulbs to hang up.

"Wow, Miranda even convinced the Crow Units to help out." Allen smiled. _Or was it Lenalee? Where is she anyway? She didn't come out to help us with the tree, so she must've…_ "Link?"

His shadow said nothing, glaring in disapproval at the happenings before him.

 _Wow, he still looks pretty miffed._ Allen took a half step aside to put some distance between them. Link didn't react at all. He'd been in a bad mood ever since they'd woken up, but still… _Maybe I went too far back there._ Link _was_ just doing his job after all, and he did put up with a lot from the senior exorcists. When Kanda was hostile to the Inspector when they first met, Allen had originally thought Kanda was just being Kanda. But when the Generals acted as though Link didn't exist, Lavi's usual brashness took on a more malicious undertone, and even Marie and Lenalee were cold to the Inspector, he began to wonder just how deep the animosity between the exorcists and Central ran. He wanted to ask them about it but…well, there really was no way to do that without Link overhearing anything.

"Hey, Link?"

The older man remained silent, but he did turn his head ever so slightly to indicate he was listening.

"I'm sorry. I know I crossed a line back there."

"Oh, do you now?" The Inspector turned a cold eye toward him.

Allen winced. _Definitely angry._ But he took a deep breath and braved on. "Yeah, that was uncalled for. I shouldn't have blackmailed you like that."

"I certainly didn't appreciate it." Link turned away again and, to Allen's surprise, lost a fraction of the rigidity in his posture. Anyone else might not have noticed, but after spending the past few months under his surveillance, it was amazing little and insignificant things became blatantly apparent. "And you're well aware of the repercussions should you step out of line."

Indeed he was. He'd already received a harsh scolding for his conduct in Paris. Expressing thoughts to create a Gate without explicit permission was filed under suspicious behavior, a charge that both angered and frustrated him. His intentions had been honest. The only reason for doing it was to save Timothy's life, as well as the lives of the other children. But not even this explanation had spared him.

"But…I suppose I can understand why you did it."

"Pardon?"

"Don't be mistaken." Link continued. "I'm still required to monitor you as strictly as possible, but…it is Christmas Day, and my duties haven't exactly allowed you much privacy these past few months. So it's expected you would lash out now and then. Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't done so sooner."

 _Yeah, but this was Kanda's idea, not mine. I just saw a chance and took it._ Allen sighed. "Still, it was wrong of me to do that, so…I'll explain the tree to the Director myself. I'll even explain the blackmail thing if you like."

At that, Link turned on him, looking more surprised than Allen had ever seen him, "After all the trouble you went to conceal it? You realize Central's trust in you will be even more unstable."

"It's not as though they trusted me anyway." Allen sighed. "But I might as well lay everything out on the table. This isn't a card game we're dealing with. Besides, if they find out the wrong way later, which they definitely will, then that puts you in a pretty awkward position."

"I'm surprised to hear that concerns you."

"You're my friend, aren't you?" Whether or not Link was surprised by that revelation, Allen could not say, so he simply smiled and asked, "So you do you want to go help out in the kitchens? I'm assuming you'd rather put your baking skills to work than hang up tinsel."

-0-0-0-

"Careful up there, Timothy!" Emilia called to the top of the ladder, clasping her hands over her heart as the boy exorcist stood on his toes and stretched his arms above his head to hang a wreath on the wall. The scientist steadying the ladder had promised to catch him if he fell, but even so, Miranda could tell the lady was nervous. She, too, held her breath as Timothy wobbled precariously, but with a shout of victory, the youngster managed to catch the greenery on the nail, if somewhat crookedly, and began to climb back down.

"That was fun!" He cried, running up to Johnny, who was quickly throwing another one together. "Can I do it again?"

"When I'm finished." The scientist answered with a laugh as he glued what appeared to be the number one to the wreath.

 _Interesting choice._ Miranda thought but didn't question it. The scientists had their own reasons for everything. It wouldn't be very polite to ask. So she turned away and broke open yet another cardboard box, this one full of candles. White candles, green candles, red, blue, gold, all colors, and, from the way her nose began to run and her eyes began to sting, all scents, too. No wonder this box had been so heavy when she and Emilia carried it up between them. All that wax. _These are probably for the tree then._ She thought, glancing up to survey the Hall. _And maybe some for the windows, too._

Before she could say a word, Lavi materialized at her side and peered over her shoulder into the box, "Oh, sweet, you found them!" Before he grabbed two fistfuls and darted off.

Everyone else seemed to be doing well. The tree was half decorated, the scientists were almost done arranging greenery on the walls, and the Crow and finder units were busy commandeering whatever spare furniture they could find throughout the cathedral. With any luck, they'd all be finished setting up well before evening and then she'd have time to take care of a few last-minute Christmas gifts. She'd already collected a few over the month, small things for Lenalee, Lavi, and Allen, the finders she was familiar with, but now that Cloud Nyne was her mentor, she knew she'd have to find something for her, too. And Kanda, of course. She couldn't forget him. Or…

"So, how long have you known Mr. Marie?" Miranda asked nervously, rummaging through another box and pulling out all manner of seasonal odds and ends: gingerbread men, candy canes, holly, a small drum made from an old soup can and toothpick drumsticks.

"Since I was a child." Came the dry answer.

She swallowed. Whatever thoughts he might have had for the holidays, Kanda was still no conversationalist. He was gingerly unpacking a series of matching ornaments, one of the few complete sets she'd seen all day. All others were mismatched or had broken or otherwise missing pieces. The years had certainly not been kind to these decorations. "So…." She braved on. "You'd know what he likes to do….as a hobby, I mean."

Kanda looked at her with a tilted head, processing this with a blank expression, then answered, "If you need help picking out a present, just ask." Miranda sagged. Was she really that obvious? To her surprise, though, the younger exorcist turned away with a bemused smile. "Music. He likes playing instruments. And reading. When General Yeegar taught Lenalee and me to read English, Marie often helped us practice. We would tell him how the word was spelled, and he'd pronounce it for us."

"General Yeegar?"

"He's gone, too."

"Oh." Miranda lowered her eyes. It seemed most of these wonderful people she'd heard so much about had already been claimed by the demon war. Gwendolyn Frere, for instance. She sounded amazing.

"Marie likes stories, though. So does Lenalee, if you're thinking about her, too. Just get the Sprout some food and he'll probably love you forever."

 _I certainly don't doubt that._ Miranda thought with a smile. "I'll have to find something for him, then."

"As soon as I'm done here, I'll be heading to…oh, some town somewhere using the Ark. I doubt anything's open on Christmas Day, but it's worth a look." The black-haired exorcist stated, setting an empty box aside and pulling another towards him. "You can come with if you want."

"You know, you're really nice."

"Huh?" Kanda whipped his head up in astonishment.

"I mean, you always seemed so stern in Japan." Miranda amended, feeling her face flush and her spine stiffen up. "But just now, you talking about reading to Marie, and what you're doing for everyone here today. You seem mean and unfriendly, but really, deep down, you really do love and take care of your comrades." The man shot her a glare so fierce, she nearly jumped to her feet and ran in the opposite direction. "I'm so sorry! Maybe you don't care at all! Please forgive me, I didn't mean anything by it! I'm sorry!

"Calm down!" Kanda cried in exasperation. "Jeez, woman!"

"I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing!"

"Sorr—" She cut herself off.

He released a long breath of air. "You good now? Take a deep breath or something. Whatever you need to do. Just don't do…. _that_ anymore. You're so jumpy, it's making even me nervous!"

"I'm so sorry."

Kanda bared his teeth, ready to start shouting again, but to her surprise, he suddenly took a deep breath and held up his hands. "One, two, three….okay." Shaking his head, he resumed sifting through the boxes, pulling out tinsel and garland by the fistful. Miranda relaxed, closing her eyes. He was so quick to anger. Briefly, she wondered why that was, then short-circuited the private query on account it was none of her business. Or at least, that's how she imagined Kanda would say it.

"Thank you." She twitched in surprise and turned to her comrade. Kanda wasn't looking at her, far too intent on the box in front of him. "Anyway, about Marie, do you—hello, what's this?"

"Hm?" Miranda rose to her feet to stand over his discovery, a little white doll with feathered wings nestled in the middle of green and silver. "What is it?"

"Lenalee's angel."

"Her angel?"

The younger exorcist nodded as he carefully extricated the doll from the greenery and straightened out its tiny, silver halo. "Our very first Christmas together, she found it in one of the old boxes, and I suppose it's been our lucky tree topper every year. Right up there with that crazy star thing Gwen bought in Madrid and the flaming snowman the Science Division made. Don't ask."

Miranda had learned a long time ago not to ask and simply smiled, "Well, we'd better put it atop our tree this year."

"No." Kanda shook his head and set the doll aside. "Not us. That's always been Komui's job."

-0-0-0-

Authors Notes: Flaming snowman!

D Gray Man is owned by Katsura Hoshino.


	3. Grief and Baking in Spades

Chapter 3: Grief and Baking in Spades

It was snowing in London when Lenalee stepped away from the Ark Gate, wrapping her arms around herself and making her way down the crowded street. She hadn't wanted to come here, but her footsteps had led her here anyways. A cloud of air escaped her lips as she pulled the hood over her overcoat over her hair and tightened her scarf. All the activity going on at Headquarters…she'd needed some air, and she'd wanted to be gone before someone made a more serious attempt to find her.

And being found…she could do without that right now.

Right now, she needed to find something familiar. Large chunks of her world had been ruthlessly torn out, and their absence was more apparent now than ever before. With Christmas in the brand new Headquarters now…up until that morning, it had never occurred to her now much she missed the old citadel, the imposing tower where she'd grown up. The new cathedral was a strange place, even with the familiar faces. Lenalee clenched her jaw and wrapped her arms tighter around herself. No…her grief and homesickness was too much to handle all at once.

"Pretty flower for the pretty lady?"

Lenalee jumped as a small hand tugged at her coat and whirled around to see it was girl with a basket of poinsettias. Instinct warned her of a potential akuma and she stepped back, but the child's innocent, dirt-smudged face remained as she held out the crimson blossom. "Pretty flower for the pretty lady?" She repeated. "Only two pence."

The young woman sighed, and pulled her coin purse from her pocket, withdrawing the two coins and handing them over.

The girl's face lit up and she eagerly handed her a blood-red poinsettia. "Thank you, miss!"

Lenalee watched her go with a small smile, then turned to a nearby shop window and scrutinized her short hair. A year ago, she'd have tucked the blossom in one of her pigtails, but now… She held it up to her throat and sighed. In the window's refection, she saw a man and woman passing behind her, the lady smiling as they walked arm in arm. Lenalee turned to watch them go and, for a moment, she saw the girl she'd been last year, walking alongside her best friends with their hands clasped.

When she saw the all too familiar coffin of ebony and silver, she'd known she was never going to see Daisya again. Something in her heart whispered that it was him in that box. He was gone, never to call her 'Moppet' or smile at her when she was sad or sing with her. God, it had been so long since they'd last sang together. Everyone had their own rituals to follow after an assignment, and hers and Daisya's was to simply sit in their favorite stairwell and sing until they ran out of songs. There were ballads and lullabies, silly poems and epic sagas, folk songs and classics, even childish clapping games. Occasionally, Kanda would sit with them, hold Mugen close and listen until he fell asleep on the steps. Or at least until Daisya tackled him and they went rolling down the stairs, kicking and punching.

Overriding the finders' protests, she'd ordered them to open the coffin. She had to be sure he was well and truly gone. It was closure. A certainty. So when she saw him lying there, his cold hands folded neatly over his heart, she did not cry out. Rather, she bit the inside of her cheek and held in her tears as she knelt. He was paler than he'd been when he was alive. It didn't look as though he were sleeping, as stories often told, but she already knew death wasn't like that. "Where is his Charity Bell?" She asked as soon as she noticed it was missing.

"Taken." The finder had croaked.

"I see."

That was about the time she'd shaken herself out of her stupor and coldly reminded herself that Daisya was simply one of many friends she'd been forced to leave behind. She'd always known it was a possibility, and she'd prepared herself for it. So, her eyes yielding no tears, she steadily closed the lid and allowed the finders to carry him away. One last journey home and then it would be over.

She'd have thought one mass funeral after another over the years would have numbed her to tragedy. And it had. She'd stopped crying for finders whose names she didn't know when she was twelve. The last exorcist she'd cried for was her mentor, General Tobias Mandel, after he'd fallen to an akuma bullet in Denmark. She'd followed Kanda's example ever since, wearing a stone face at every funeral, retreating to a dead place in her mind when a friend died before her eyes, feeling nothing. In the end, she supposed it was Daisya who cried enough for all three of them. Somehow…he was the one who always stayed the same.

Remained human?

Lenalee clenched her jaw as she remembered General Yeegar's death. Then Gwen and Sol, Kazaana and Chakar, and Suman and Tina's. Pieces of her world ripped away without mercy or provocation. It was Gwen and Brutus, alongside her brother, who brought the light back into her and her friends' lives. And her mentor as well. Mandel was one of the kindest men she'd ever known. He didn't deserve to go out the way he'd had. None of her family did. _I shouldn't be out here._ She scolded herself. _I should be helping with the party, continuing my life the way I always do. Not sulking like this. I'm just being stupid._ Kanda would tell her that when he finally caught up to her.

And yet, she would give anything to have her best friend back. To have him pat her head and tease her about her short hair, then pull her into one of his crushing hugs and promising it would grow back soon. He'd been her anchor and Kanda's voice of reason. Lenalee leaned against the wall and tucked the flower into her pocket. "I miss you."

-0-0-0-

After arriving in the kitchen, it didn't take long for Allen to realize he'd unwittingly unleashed a demon into Jerry's domain. The Head Chef had been welcoming enough when they first showed up, but after only a few moments of disorganization—which in itself was rare for the kitchens—Link decided to take matters into his own hands. Before anyone could even stop him, least of all Allen, the Inspector had taken off, reassigning tasks according to skill sets and, admittedly, restoring some welcome semblance of order to this corner of the world.

Jerry, of course, did not take kindly to the hijacking of his kitchen and had promptly gathered his most trusted chefs to one side in order to stage what could only be described as the first assault of a food war. At first, Allen had protested, hoping to keep the peace, but the Head Chef would not be placated, and so, armed with mixing bowls, wooden spoons, and festive Santa hats, the cooking challenge was on. Yet before the battle could truly begin, Krory had stuck his head through the window to investigate the commotion for himself and, remembering his grandfather's extensive collection of cookbooks, joined in on Link's side. He was shortly followed by an elderly gentleman from the Asian Branch no one recognized, and when questioned, the elder fellow merely set to work, humming a pleasant tune to himself.

"Just to make this perfectly clear." Krory said sternly in the center of the kitchen, albeit his seriously demeanor was somewhat diminished by the frilly, white apron he was wearing. "This is a friendly competition of skill and fun. Any attempts to sabotage each others' efforts…say, rearranging timers or oven temperature settings or, god forbid, putting wasabi horseradish or minty toothpaste in the cookies…I'll track you down and you can spend Christmas getting blood transfusions in the Infirmary."

And Allen watched it all from a chair in the corner, Timcanpy in his lap and his head pivoting back and forth like a spectator at a tennis match. _What have I done?_

"No need to rush!" Krory was telling Link. "Since we're severely outnumbered, there's no way we'll win in terms of quantity, so the quality has to be on point."

"Agreed." The Inspector nodded, rolling cookie dough between his hands and arranging small circles onto a sheet pan. "Not to mention, Jerry's superior numbers are also skilled chefs well versed in culinary performance. We'll have to be mindful of that as well."

The old man no one recognized said nothing and promptly attached a pair of reindeer antlers to each of their heads, much to Allen's dismay, to counter the Santa team across the kitchen. Timcanpy promptly took flight and sailed over the countertop to land on Link's shoulder, stretching his teeth in the widest of grins.

"No." Link scolded him, smacking the golem lightly on the head. "You can eat some during the party, but until then, control yourself. That goes for you, too, Walker. Now get over here and help us."

"But…I don't know anything about baking."

"Don't worry about that. We'll keep you on track." Krory assured him, flipping rapidly through the pages of a cookbook. "Let's see….what do you thing about doing gingerbread men next, Inspector? Or what about Stollen?"

"I know a good recipe for Stollen." Link answered, not raising his head from the cookie tray. "I'll fetch it once I'm done here. The gingerbread idea is good, and Three Kings bread should definitely be on the docket. Jerry's team is doing cinnamon tea rings right now. Have you found a gingerbread recipe?"

"No, not yet, I was just…here!" Krory set the book down and pointed. "Allen, cinnamon! It's in that cupboard over there. Inspector, brown sugar and molasses. I'll handle the smaller things, and you, good sir…"

The elderly gentleman raised his head.

"We're going to need four large sheet pans." The Count then turned to Link and asked. "Tripling the recipe proportions should be enough, right? We are literally feeding an army, you know."

-0-0-0-

"You take good care of that, squirt." Kanda said as Timothy ran up to him, holding a wrapped box in his hands with all the excitement and energy in the world.

"Think he'll like it?" The boy grinned.

"How should I know?" He shrugged, earning a disapproving glare from Emilia, but he ignored her and scooped the boy exorcist up. Timothy gave a startled shout, but he wrapped an arm around his neck and stared across the crowded plaza. The people of London had orchestrated some manner of festival for their holiday, and with it, a vast number of stalls selling various sweets, toys, clothing, and other varying items were present. After leaving the Ark Gate and coming across the spectacle, himself, Miranda, Timothy, and several others went their separate ways in search of last minute gifts. In truth, most of their Christmas shopping had been done a month or so in advance, and yet…well, Miranda and Timothy were new to the Order and Kanda hadn't given the matter much consideration until that very morning.

"Wow, you can see everything up here!" Timothy laughed. "I wanna be this tall when I'm grown up." In spite of himself, Kanda allowed a smile and patted the boy's shoulder. _Renée used to carry Alma and me like this all the time in Lab Six._ Every evening when they walked to the cafeteria, he remembered tugging at the woman's lab coat until she lifted him up. At first, it was just a method to get away from Alma following him everywhere, but….in time, he began to enjoy just being carried around like a normal child. Aunt Ren never seemed to mind, and even remarked to Madam Twi once that it felt like being a mother. This, of course, seemed to amuse the older woman, but she said nothing and brushed a hand over his black hair with a weary smile.

After the fall of Lab Six, he hadn't spoken for weeks. He remembered hiding in a corner of a dark room, furious he hadn't escaped the Order, but beyond that, that part of his life was a vague blur. He didn't accept food or drink, and that led to some painful stomach cramps, and there had been some folks here and there trying to coax him into speaking, but that was about it. Eventually, Bak had come and offered him a bowl of fried rice and chicken. "Renée told me it was your favorite." That was the first he'd heard the woman was still alive and that Alma hadn't murdered her with the others. He still wouldn't touch the food, and that was the moment Bak had drawn him into a tight hug. Kanda grimaced. He was angry enough he could've killed him then. With or without Innocence, the strength he possessed as a Second would've been enough to crush the man's neck, but…it was the stupidest thing that saved Bak's life. He smelled like his mother, and in that moment, he'd realized how much he missed the old nag and Edgar and Kimberley and Charles, Springer, Rogers, and Renée and everyone. Even Alma.

For a long time, he'd hated Alma for taking away the closest thing they would ever have to a family, but… _I'd have done it, too, if he hadn't gotten to them first._

"Hey, are you all right?" Timothy's wary voice startled him.

" _Je vais bien._ " He answered. In resonse, the boy tucked his head into the hollow of his neck, holding his gift close. It was for Allen, naturally. Kid couldn't show his face at the party without a present for the exorcists who saved him. Kanda nodded. "I think he'll like it, you know."

"You think so?"

Emilia stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Of course, it's a lovely gift Timothy."

"Without a doubt." Kanda raised his head as Miranda came trotting toward them, clutching several wrapped packages of her own to her chest, the biggest about the size of large book and the smallest looked as though it contained a pencil case.

"I'm sorry I'm late." The woman gasped and she skidded to a halt beside them, and would've slid right into the frozen fountain had Emilia not grabbed her when she did. Unperturbed, Miranda grinned and checked over the boxes to make sure she hadn't dropped any. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Kanda nudged the bag at his feet. "I'm done here."

"I'm hungry." Timothy moaned.

"I am as well." Miranda realized. "Shall we head back? It's almost midday, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I think—" Kanda stopped talking, his sharp eyes catching sight of something, no someone observing their group from afar. He turned his head and sure enough, Lenalee was watching him from across the plaza, and from the look in her eyes…no, it was simply too complicated to describe what she was feeling in that moment. He knew her too well. He could go on for hours on the thoughts running through her head. She bit her lip and squeezed her eyes shut, then turned away, looking into a shop window and wrapping her arms around herself.

Kanda sighed and turned to Emilia. "Here, take Timothy for me, will you?" He asked, passing the kid into her arms. "Go back to the Order without me. I have something to take care of." He left the bewildered trio and cut his way through the crowd, weaving his way toward his little sister. Lenalee gave no sign she was aware of his approach and kept her gaze locked on the glass of the shop window. Once, Kanda looked back at Miranda and the others, who were still watching him go, but none of them were attempting to follow. Emilia was the first to react, taking Miranda's arm and turning in the direction of the Gate. The Clockwork Exorcist also collected the bag he'd left behind. He would have to thank her later.

"What are you doing, Kanda?" Lenalee asked once his reflection was clear in the window. Her voice was cold.

Kanda blinked. "I would think that's obvious."

"Okay, then why?"

"Why aren't you?" Kanda folded his arms across his chest. "Didn't you hear what I said in the mess hall?" The girl didn't answer, bowing her head. She was upset with herself, he could tell that much. Whenever an occasion like this arose, she always behaved in a consistent pattern he'd memorized since they were children. It was simply her way. Kanda sighed. "What's the problem, Duckling?"

Lenalee bit her lip. "I always thought the reason was celebrating with family and friends, sharing gifts between family and friends, having dinner with family and friends...you know, being together with the people you care about."

"Well, yes." Kanda conceded with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "So this is about Daisya."

"Of course it's about Daisya!" Lenalee whirled around to face him, crying out, "He was my friend! He was your friend, too! And now that he's gone…." She didn't want to celebrate without him, he finished on his own. Lenalee sniffled and rubbed her hand against the corner of her eye, then completely buried her face in her hands.

Kanda turned away, knowing she wouldn't want him watching. If Daisya were here, she wouldn't be crying. He'd pat her head and pull her into a crushing hug, trying to cheer her up with a big grin and endless words of encouragement and comfort. The elder man always knew what to do when their baby sister was upset.

Lenalee pulled her hands away from her face. "You know, everyone says how strong you are, and you've told me I'm strong. But out of the three of us, I think Daisya was the strongest. He's the one who kept us on our feet when Central was just about killing us. I didn't meet him until after Komui came to the Order and I recovered, but when I saw you again, you looked so much better. And I knew then Daisya had been looking after you the same way you did for me. He took care of both of us, no matter what. And now he's just gone."

Kanda closed his eyes. It was hard for him to believe, too. He should've expected it though. They'd grown up watching countless friends and comrades die, attended one mass funeral after another for years, and they knew all too well the scent of grave dirt and cremated bodies. They'd always known that one day they would be attending the others' funeral. To think or even dare hope otherwise was folly. But through the years, the three of them had somehow persevered. They'd been together for so long, perhaps he'd begun to think they were invincible, that nothing could happen to them.

"I miss him too." He admitted, opening his eyes to find hers drying. "But I don't think he'd want either of us to be moping around today. I mean…heh, _biologically_ Daisya really was a big brother, so looking after us the way he did…that's how he got by. Remember how anytime we were in trouble with the Inspector—"

"I'd sit there trembling in fear, you just start sulking, and Daisya—"

"Would open his stupid mouth and yell right back at him." They said together, grinning in spite of themselves.

"He was both brave and stupid." Lenalee laughed and brushed her hand over her eyes.

"Well, sometimes you can't have one without the other." Kanda admitted with a nod. "Case and point, the Sprout. But this is what I mean. Don't you remember why Gwen and Brutus, rest their souls, brought back the traditions? It wasn't just about friends and family, Duckling. It was about bringing light back into the Order and bringing smiles back into our lives. Everyone's lives."

A silence fell between them, and the young woman lowered her eyes.

"I don't know about you, but I believe Daisya was relieved to finally see his brother and little sister smiling again." Against his better instincts, Kanda reached forward and cupped her cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear that had started to form. "We've only got one kid exorcist this year, and Timothy doesn't need the shitty dark years we had. So what do you say? Do I have your help or not?"

Lenalee forced a smile and nodded, placing her hand over his. "I'll go meet up with Miranda now."

"Do that." Kanda agreed, kissing her forehead, and the young woman linked her arm with his, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Although, since we're out here, I'd better do some overdue Christmas shopping of my own. Can't show without a gift for my brother, right?"

-0-0-0-

Komui sneezed and warily looked over his shoulder at Bridget Fay. She had been unusually vigilant, never letting him out of her sight for even a second, almost as if she knew his intentions to sneak away from work. No, there was no 'almost' about it; she definitely suspected his plans. This unexpected development had unsettled him beyond all measure, and…honestly, he wondered if Allen ever felt this way with the Inspector continuously following him around.

His assistant raised her eyes from her clipboard, her brow creased in a stern frown that wordlessly sent him to signing and reading reports with renewed energy. How was he supposed to get away now? A drop of perspiration slid down his forehead Fay had hidden all the remote controls to his robots, and even the quick escape tools had been looted from the locked secret compartments under his desk. There was nothing left to cause a diversion, there was no way he could race the woman to the door, and the window behind him led to a fifty foot drop into the courtyard. He tapped his fingers nervously. The party was this evening, and it was already midday. If he didn't make his escape now, there wouldn't be time to make the final touches on Lenalee's present.

 _Just to escape somehow…_

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Author's Notes: ...pretty flower for a pretty lady? (I just think that's cute. ^^)

D. Gray Man belongs to Katsura Hoshino.


End file.
